Thursday's News & Ideas - 4/29/2021

Prominent Georgia church leaves United Methodist Church over pastor’s reassignment
Religion News Service: Mt. Bethel UMC has made clear the root of its conflict with its bishop is not over its stance on LGBTQ inclusion, which previously caused conflict at the church.

Support of Trump within church has driven some Catholics to the exits
National Catholic Reporter: Church membership among Catholics has declined sharply in recent decades, especially over the past 10 years. How much of a factor has the support of Donald Trump been?

Ryan Burge details the double threat to denominational churches in America
Baptist News Global: Clergy and congregational leaders worried about losing members to the swelling ranks of the religiously unaffiliated need to widen their focus of concern to include the rise of the non-denominational church movement.

US Catholic bishops may press Biden to stop taking Communion
Associated Press: When U.S. Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June, they’ll be deciding whether to send a tougher-than-ever message to President Joe Biden and other Catholic politicians: Don’t receive Communion if you persist in public advocacy of abortion rights.

German Catholic cardinal abandons medal over church abuse legacy
DW: Cardinal Reinhard Marx's decision to waive one of Germany’s highest honors is a sign that “church aristocracy” is finally glancing at past harm done, say sexual abuse victims.

The Spark

How Pfizer makes its Covid-19 vaccine
Inside this facility in Chesterfield, Missouri, trillions of bacteria are producing tiny loops of DNA containing coronavirus genes -- the raw material for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine,* The New York Times says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers

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